Status: 30.11.2023, 19:17 PM
By: Alina Schröder
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The accusations of anti-Semitism against a hotel were a lie, as Ofarim admits. The lawyer Benecken, however, compares the trial to a "judicial soap opera on trash TV".
Munich – The media interest in the trial of Gil Ofarim was enormous. The singer had to answer to the anti-Semitism allegations against a Leipzig hotel and its manager for false suspicion and defamation in court. But then came the turning point: Ofarim confessed before the district court on Tuesday (28 November) that he had lied. "I'm sorry, I deleted the video," the 41-year-old said.
Lawyer compares Ofarim trial to "judicial soap opera on trash TV"
But if the story doesn't seem to be true anyway, why was the trial made such a spectacle? This is the question asked by criminal defense lawyer Burkhard Benecken. He is particularly critical of Ofarim's lawyers. In a report in Focus, Benecken compares the trial to a "judicial soap opera on trash TV". The media frenzy has turned it into a trial of the century.
It all started with a video that Ofarim posted on Instagram in the fall of 2021. In it, he claimed to have been discriminated against at check-in because of his Jewish origins. An accusation that has now turned out to be false. At that time, however, the musician received numerous expressions of solidarity, including from politicians. As a result, the hotel manager of the Westin Hotel in Leipzig was placed on leave and received death threats. Later, Ofarim was finally charged with false suspicion and defamation.
Gil Ofarim and his defence lawyer Alexander Stevens in the courtroom of the Leipzig Regional Court. © Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
For Benecken, his confession on the second day of the trial did not come as a complete surprise. After all, there had been growing evidence months earlier "that the Jewish artist from Munich had invented the Star of David story." A forensic scientist also shook the singer's account.
Lawyer settles accounts with Ofarim defender – "He would have been spared the public gauntlet"
However, Ofarim's four lawyers have continued to exploit the trial, according to Benecken. "For more than six days, Ofarim's four lawyers put on a spectacle, trying to discredit prosecution witnesses as untrustworthy with sometimes outrageous accusations," said the star lawyer, who has already defended celebrities such as Dieter Bohlen or Gina-Lisa Lohfink in court. In particular, he criticizes the statements of defense lawyer Alexander Stevens.
He had claimed before the second day of the trial that it was "clearly 1:0 for Mr. Ofarim". "It would never have occurred to me to let off such nonsense far away from the expected outcome of the trial," was Benecken's verdict. In the end, exactly the opposite was the case: all the circumstantial evidence had spoken against Ofarim. "I truly wonder why it takes four lawyers to give in completely at the end and let his client explain that he lied." "He would have been spared the public gauntlet."
Lawyer Burkhard Benecken with his client Gina-Lisa Lohfink. (Archive photo) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
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After Ofarim's confession, the judge praised his honesty in court. "An apology is more valuable as a rehabilitation than a court ruling," says Andreas Stadler. Previously, the pop singer and his lawyers had repeatedly withdrawn for consultations. The investigation against Ofarim has now been dropped. The 41-year-old must pay a fine of 10,000 euros.
However, the Central Council of Jews in Germany strongly condemns Ofarim. He had "caused great damage to all those who are actually affected by anti-Semitism." "In addition to lying to the public, he also lied to the Jewish community," according to the statement on X, formerly Twitter. (ASC)
Machine support was used for this article, written by the editors. The article was carefully reviewed by editor Alina Schröder before publication.